John Mayer is leaving Columbia Records.
The 44-year-old singer/songwriter took to Instagram to reveal that after 21 years with his label, he has decided to leave to “pursue new avenues of making music”.
He wrote: “After 21 years, eight studio albums, and some wonderful personal and creative relationships, I have decided not to renew my recording agreement with Columbia Records. Hard as it is to say goodbye, I’m excited to pursue new avenues of making music, both of my own and with other artists.
“I love music more than ever, and I believe some of my best work still lies ahead. With gratitude and enthusiasm, John.”
The decision to leave Columbia comes as a surprise as John gushed over the label’s top executives Ron Perry and Jennifer Mallory at Variety‘s Hitmakers event in December.
He said: “We artists are unreasonable; that is our job. We catch ideas we can’t let go of. Ron, Jen and the rest of the team have adopted a working relationship that I think is the most open-minded and fun it’s ever been in my 20-year career as a Columbia recording artist.”
John’s final album with Columbia was ‘Sob Rock’, which he released in 2021.